Despite reports of disharmony within the camp during Di Canio's short reign, Poyet has claimed that he has no problems dropping players.

"Sometimes, people say in football that you need to pick your 11 best individuals," Poyet told the Sunderland Echo. "No, you need to pick your best team, and sometimes that means you need to leave out one of your best individuals.

"Now we need our best team. We need characters, rather than individuals. We need players who react the right way and who are mentally strong."

The Black Cats are currently preparing for the Wear-Tyne derby against Newcastle United this weekend.